Waiting on Wednesday – The Blackfire Blade by James Logan

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy. I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings. Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them. In my latest Waiting on Wednesday, I highlight an excellent upcoming fantasy sequel with the awesome sounding book, The Blackfire Blade by James Logan.

Earlier this year I was very lucky to receive a copy of the debut novel of new fantasy author James Logan, The Silverblood Promise, the first book in his The Last Legacy series. An exciting, compelling and very fun novel, The Silverblood Promise was a great fantasy novel that set a desperate son on an adventure to a foreign city following clues that may reveal who killed his father. However, to find the answers he needs, he first needed to perform a series of heists, face off against dangerous criminal elements, contend with ancient and mysterious mystical forces, and stop an elaborate conspiracy, all while dealing with the eccentric population of this new city.

This proved to be a very entertaining and impressive debut from Logan, and The Silverblood Promise ended up being one of my favourite books from the first half of 2024. As such, I have been keeping a keen eye out for any details about a potential sequel, especially as I was curious about how the author planned to continue the fantastic story, and I was very excited when I finally got some much-needed details about Logan’s next book, The Blackfire Blade.

I was very lucky that details about The Blackfire Blade were recently released on the Novel Notations blog, which also featured a cover and synopsis reveal. It looks like this upcoming second book in The Last Legacy series is currently set for release in early 2025, and it will take the protagonists from the first book to a whole new city of intrigue, mystery and hidden danger.

Plot Synopsis:

Winter has come early to Korslakov, City of Spires, and Lukan Gardova has arrived with it. Most visitors to this famous city of artifice seek technological marvels, or alchemical ingenuity. Lukan only desires the unknown legacy his father has left for him, in the vaults of the Blackfire Bank.

But when Lukan’s past catches up with him, his key to the vault ends up in the hands of a mysterious thief known only as the Rook. As Lukan and his companions race to recover the key, they soon find themselves trapped in a web of murder and deceit. In desperation, Lukan requests the help of Lady Marni Volkova, scion to Korslakov’s most powerful family.

Yet Lady Marni has secrets of her own. Worse, she has plans for Lukan and his friends. Plans that involve a journey into Korslakov’s dark past, in search of a long-lost alchemical formula that could prove to be the city’s greatest discovery . . . or its destruction.

This sounds like another awesome book from Logan and I cannot wait to get my hands on it. I love that the author is committing to the repeating story concept of having his protagonist visit a different fantasy city each book as part of his larger quest to find his father’s killers. This allows Logan to expand out his fantasy world in some interesting ways each book, while also having his protagonists get drawn into local intrigues and conspiracies that may have some connection to a larger plot. I think it’s going to create an excellent series, and if the compelling story this produced for The Silverblood Promise is any indication, The Blackfire Blade is going to have another exciting narrative behind it.

Based on the synopsis above, it looks like readers are for an amazing treat with The Blackfire Blade. A spire-filled city of crazy technology and alchemy is going to be an interesting change of pace from the background setting of The Silverblood Promise, and I’m intrigued to see how Logan changes the story as a result. I also love the various crime and intrigue elements that the protagonists are going to run into, especially with new thieves, ambitious nobles, and a mysterious alchemical compound. It looks like the protagonists will really have to dive into the history of the city and understand it’s soul to get what they want, which should result in quite a compelling and entertaining narrative.

Based on how good The Silverblood Promise was, there is no way I am not grabbing a copy of The Blackfire Blade the second it comes out next year. James Logan’s first Last Legacy book was a very impressive debut, and I really got caught up in the fantastic story and complex characters. I look forward to seeing how the story continues in this upcoming sequel, and I cannot wait to see what cool narrative results from the book’s new background setting. I have no doubt that The Blackfire Blade is going to be a particularly awesome sequel, and it is already one of my most anticipated releases for 2025.